The idea was born when he saw the state his own childhood playground — the Marcus DeBack playground — was in.

"It seemed like everything was just cracked black top," said Ryan Mattek, who, along with his wife, Jennifer, helped revitalize the playground. "It was horrible. There was a nasty fence and weeds all throughout the park."

Jennifer Mattek agreed, adding, "There was just a swing set and a tiny unsafe, rusty play structure. And it was all grafittied."

Murphy realized early on that it was more than just his childhood playground that needed attention. "The city owns about 60 playgrounds," Murphy said. "I asked DPW (the Department of Public Works) to rate them. That's how we came up with the initial 12. They ended up mostly being in the heart of the city, and their condition was not tolerable."

The goal was to secure a combination of city funding and private donations in order to restore these 12 playgrounds by the end of 2018. As that deadline approaches, the program is on track to have surpassed their goal by an additional park, and they've secured more community partners and funding than Murphy could have ever imagined.

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And the commitment of the park's neighbors to turn it around is symbolic of everything it should be. Getting input from those neighbors by including them in the planning committee for the playground's renovation was the first step, and one that would be continued throughout the rest of the parks in the program.

The Matteks said that, although program coordinator Joe Kaltenberg, who had done his research on the best types of playground equipment, made recommendations, the neighbors' ideas weren't only considered. They were enacted.

"The basketball courts were really popular," Jennifer Mattek said. "And, after discussion, everybody agreed they had to stay."

Murphy agrees, describing how that first meeting of neighbors went. "Some neighbors at first said they wanted the basketball courts gone, but Marcus DeBack's mother was there and said her son lived for those courts and would be sad to see them taken down." Murphy said it was affirming to see the neighbors decide to support the basketball courts after DeBack's mother spoke up, and they've stepped up since the playground's renovation to make sure the courts stay safe.

"I talk to the guys on the basketball courts every few weeks," Murphy said. "Everybody's looking to have a nice summer, and the older kids want to protect the playground and the kids too. They're very respectful. They use one half of the court, and they let the younger kids use the other half."

Thoughtful playground design

In addition to the pride the neighbors take in making sure their renovated playground stays nice, the thought that went into the playground's design also makes it stay safer than it was. Ryan Mattek said, "Joe (Kaltenberg) helped us design the playground so that it would have good sight lines. We didn't want there to be places for people to hide. When you look across the playground, you can see every part of it. It's safer that way, and it's more inviting because it's more open."

Kaltenberg said that one thing the city has learned through really listening to residents through the MKE Plays program is that the tot lots of the past weren't serving the needs of the community. There are all different ages represented in the neighborhoods, and all those people want a place that meets their needs.

Artists Working in Education worked with MKE Plays to beautify the staircase at Arlington Heights playground.(Photo11: Rosana Lazcano)

Jennifer Mattek said, "Our neighborhood committee had people with a wide range of ages. The middle-aged people wanted more sitting areas and workout equipment." The DeBack playground has both now, in addition to the basketball courts for older kids and young adults, a tot lot area for toddlers and preschoolers, and swings and a large net-like climbing structure for elementary and middle-school aged kids.

The playground also has what Murphy says is the first zip line in any City of Milwaukee park. "Everyone agreed the zip line had to happen," Jennifer Mattek laughed.

Beautifying the parks

Meetings of neighborhood groups across the city resulted in similar findings, and renovations that fit the needs of each community. At the Arlington Heights playground, on 34th and Pierce, that net climbing structure is prominent, along with swings, a play structure for little kids plus one for older kids. There's also a large green space that neighborhood schools and groups utilize for picnicking, and more natural play spaces have been incorporated with a sand area, a rain garden and natural building materials.

One of the most popular components at the new Marcus DeBack playground is a zipline.(Photo11: Amy Schwabe)

The Arlington Heights renovation is also a great example of taking what exists and beautifying it. The MKE Plays literature describes the park as "a local gem tucked underneath the 35th Street bridge, and the renovators decided to use the position under the bridge as an asset rather than a drawback.

There's a wooden staircase from the busy 35th Street bridge down to where the park is. Now that staircase is more inviting than ever, with a slide for kids to enter the playground from, and artwork designed by Artists Working in Education (AWE).

John Kowalczyk, a program director for AWE, said, "We worked with Escuela Verde and kids in the neighborhood to do a mosaic on the staircase. We did things like go to a trick or treating event at the park so kids could add tiles. We tried to get as many people as possible who use the park to be involved."

A bright future

The model that MKE Plays has come up with — of working with each park's neighbors to see what they want in their park, of having them help with the actual renovation and of getting support from private investors — is working so well that the program is continuing beyond its original three-year commitment.

The city just announced the acceptance of a grant from the USDA Forest Service to plant trees at its playgrounds, and Murphy said, that with more funding from private sources, the program is hoping to expand its renovation plans to more playgrounds in the years to come.

"Our whole concept changes the way it used to be," Murphy said. "It used to be just a bureaucratic process to build a playground. Now we've transformed that into more community involvement, and we've been able to raise more money than I thought we would. That just shows this is the right way to do it."